Funded in 2004-05

In the fourth round of Graduate Student Life Grants, Dean Ike Colbert funded 18 proposals out of the total 28 submitted to the Graduate Students Office. They have been organized below by theme. The Dean continues to view this process as an effective mechanism for gathering fresh, creative ideas and instrumental in shaping the graduate community of the future.

Introducing new departmental efforts

RFP4-9 EAPS Mug Cooperative

Purchase a set of reusable ceramic mugs for shared use in main department lounge, supporting participation in the departmental tea/coffee hour as well as local conservation efforts.

Why?
Support simple and thoughtful request for enhancing the social environment within the department.

RFP4-12 Food for Thought

Submitted by graduate student

Establish a series of food “tastings” held in the math department, bringing together members from pure and applied branches to enjoy and discuss unusual and variant foods.

Why?
Enhance the sense of community by offering “fodder” for discussion and learning.

RFP4-24 Sloan PhD Student Handbook

Submitted by graduate student

Create a handbook that addresses the issues specific to students at Sloan that are not already addressed by other campus resources.

Why?
Encourage communication and foster a greater sense of community among doctoral students within the department.

Focus on bringing people together in a social context

RFP4-5 Demanstyle, Cooking the Healthy Way

Submitted by student/spouse team

Present a series of three two-hour courses in one of the student residences on how to prepare healthy yet easy meals, and monthly showcase presentations in a Lobby 10 information booth.

Why?
Encourage healthy life styles for busy graduate students. “…eat healthy, cook healthy, live healthy without much time and effort.”

RDP4-10 Fierce Forever 5

Submitted by graduate student

Support graduate student participation in a festive drag workshop and show.

Why?
Celebrate yet another aspect of the MIT community’s diversity.

RFP4-25 Snowriders@MIT

Submitted by graduate student

Support, in part, a sustainable ski and snowboard community for graduate students, targeting families, off campus students, and never-before skiers.

Why?
Facilitate opportunities for students and their families to appreciate a unique aspect of New England.

RFP4-26 Traveling Grad Shabbat Dinners

Submitted by graduate student

Host a series of dinners that focus on teaching Jewish Shabbat observances, while encouraging discussion and dialogue about rituals of different faiths.

Why?
Celebrate yet another aspect of the MIT community’s diversity.

Integrate academic and social aspects of graduate life

RFP4-21 “Optimizing” the “OR” Community

Submitted by administrative officer

Create mechanisms for building community with students sharing common interest in the fields of operations research through lunch with students and co-directors, a pilot program for women, support for admitted students, and a weekly student luncheon series.

Why?
Support departmental efforts to improve graduate community.

RFP4-1 APH(I)D: Architecture PhDs Building Identity

Submitted by a team of PhD students

Design and implement a series of informal once-a-month colloquia featuring PhD student presentations from the Department of Architecture and the Institute more broadly.

Why?
Encourage a coherent graduate community of PhD students by providing opportunities to solicit peer feedback on projects and dissertation work as well as discuss the unique challenges in pursuing an architectural degree at MIT.

Improve communications and outreach

RFP4-11 Focus Groups on Advisor-Advisee Relationships

Submitted by the Academics, Research, and Careers Committee of the Graduate Student Council

RFP4-27 Women’s Leadership Conference

Host a first ever women’s leadership conference, bringing together alumnae and students for a celebration and exploration of MIT women as leaders and innovators.

Why?
Encourage efforts to serve students not simply as “pre alumni” but as integral part of mission to connect alumni with the Institute.

RFP4-3 Backpack to Briefcase Seminar

Submitted by MIT Alumni Association staff

Sponsor a seminar to prepare students for transition from MIT to the work force while emphasizing the support network that exists throughout the MIT community and Alumni Association.

Why?
Serves students not just as “pre alumni” but as integral part of mission to connect alumni with the Institute.

Acknowledge creative expression through the arts

RFP4-7 Design Competition for Un-Useless Things

Submitted by graduate student

Introduce and manage a design competition based on Chindogu, the Japanese Art of Invention, that entails creating inventions that do solve a particular problem but also create new ones!

Why?
Provide intriguing context for social connections, good fun, and technical challenge among design groups.

Serve as models for community building

RFP4-15 Holiday Festival

Submitted by graduate students on behalf of Sidney-Pacific graduate community

Organize a holiday event open to all MIT graduate students at the beginning of the holiday season, featuring an arts and crafts sale with local artists, live music, and international holiday food.

Why?
Share holiday traditions and spread the holiday spirit, especially for members of the international community.

RFP4-20 An Online Plaza

Submitted by graduate students on behalf of student council in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning

Design a new community web site that builds on the success of DUSP’s Plaza web portal, creating a more dynamic forum and tool linking students from across the Institute and strengthening professional and academic alliances.

Why?
Enhance already successful online services that offer students across departments a community bulletin board, job posting arena, and directory.

RFP4-4 Building Community in the Engineering Systems Division

Submitted by PhD student

Create and sustain an intellectual and social community across the interdisciplinary division (400 graduate students, 50 faculty) through mechanisms such as a student research conference and poster sessions, picnics, and barbecues.

Why?
Provide opportunities to build social and intellectual community in newly integrated division.

Focus on specific constituencies

RFP4-24 Sloan PhD Student Handbook

Submitted by graduate student

Create a handbook that addresses the issues specific to students at Sloan that are not already addressed by other campus resources.

Why?
Encourage communication and foster a greater sense of community among doctoral students within the department.

RFP4-28 World Reading for World Students

Submitted by the MIT Libraries graduate Student Users Group

Establish a seed collection of foreign language literature for recreational reading, a pilot project that will inform requests for permanent funding for a formal library collection of world literature.

Why?
Offer opportunities for “pleasure reading” for graduate students whose native language is not English.